Tupac Shakur

Ranked #11,731 in Entertainment, #143,274 overall

Tupac Amaru Shakur (1971 - 1996)

The late rapper and actor Tupac Shakur was certainly a work-in-progress, as we all are. Here's a guy who unfortunately, never had the chance to reach his full potential. He was an accomplished rapper and quickly becoming a very good actor.

Tupac's immaturity and "tough guy" demeanor is ultimately what cost him his life. He lived as if there was no tomorrow and affirmed his death in his lyrics. He was actually too smart to be a "thug" but he wore the persona just a little too well and it lead directly to his demise.

His brilliance behind the mic coupled with his onstage persona made him a popular figure not only in the African American community but his skills were on the verge of widespread crossover appeal.

On September 7, 1996 Tupac Shakur (accompanied by Marion "Suge" Knight, who was driving the car) after attending a Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, was shot several times while sitting on the passenger side of the vehicle. Knight suffered minor wounds and would be released from the hospital later that morning.

Friday, September 13, 1996 at 4.03am, at the age of 25, Tupac Shakur succumbed to his wounds and passed away. See time-line of events.

Known by his stage names, 2Pac, 'Pac' or 'Makaveli," Shakur was an accomplished rapper and actor. By 2007, his estate had sold over 75 million albums worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world. In the United States alone he has sold 37.5 million records.

Regardless of how you may have felt about Tupac he was certainly a lively spirit; a poet that just could not get the right rhyme in the short time he spent on this earth. I was a big fan and this Lens is not meant to slam or belittle his ephemeral, very successful and tragic life, it's simply my tribute to a hip hop legend!


Click this link to watch a video that displays the talent of Tupac, his unique flow, and also the reason he died at 25. Karma was a direct result of his untimely demise

Live by it ... Die by it ...

The metaphorical expression, "Live by the sword, die by the sword" means that if you live your life in a certain way the lifestyle will ultimately affect your destiny. There is no better example than the life of Tupac Shakur.

His passing, along with the death of another popular rapper, Biggie Smalls, served as a wake-up call to the rap and hip-hop communities. Because of this, neither death has been in vain, even though the killers of the two superstar rappers have not been brought to justice. Many believe that both Shakur and Smalls murderers have long since met their fate. However, neither case has been or will ever be solved.

At the time of Pac's demise there was an ongoing, absurd, beef between east and west coast rappers. Losing two of the most popular rappers of all time quietly ended the hostility between rival rappers. The two sects were not "buddy-buddy," but at least they had the mental wherewithal to understand how foolish and deadly their actions could become.

Next time you hear someone speak of Pac in a negative light, for example, "what a wasted life" or something to that effect. Politely correct them and suggest the fact that he paved the way for the monumental success of rappers turned moguls, Sean "P Diddy" Combs, Ice Cube, Eminem, Snoop, Jay Z, Nelly, and many more. It's almost as if Pac sacrificed his life for the success of the rap industry. Of course he had no idea his life would have such a profound affect, nor was he attempting to leave such a legacy. Or did he?

Did Makaveli clearly see his early exit from this life? He surely talked about it in many of his songs. He also spent extra hours in the studio recording myriad songs that were not released while he lived. He recorded the plethora of records that you hear today primarily because he believed he would not be around very long.

Tupac Shakur's Last 24 Hours

The most successful hip-hop artist of all time, Tupac Shakur has just finished shooting his latest video in Los Angeles. The ultimate gangster-rapper, Tupac says he will one day go out in a blaze of glory. In 24 hours, his prophecy will come true... Although reluctant about going to Las Vegas to play a gig, Tupac eventually relents, and enjoys some high stakes gambling before attending a heavyweight prizefight featuring his friend, Mike Tyson. Pumped up by Tyson's victory, Tupac is himself involved in a violent brawl, and heads back to his hotel to freshen up. When he finally arrives at the club for his own performance, a white Cadillac pulls up and a gunman fires a heavy round of bullets at the rapper's car. Mortally wounded with a punctured lung, Tupac dies six days later in a Vegas hospital. He is only 25. Featuring archival footage, dramatic reenactments, and interviews with his family and friends, we document the final moments of Tupac Shakur's life.
Final 24 : Last 24 Hours Of Tupac Shakur Part 1 (HQ)
by 2PacDonKilluminati | video info

487 ratings | 190,059 views
curated content from YouTube
Eminem & Tupac - When I'm Gone (Remix)
by spicyktx | video info

65,494 ratings | 23,006,298 views
curated content from YouTube

Tupac Shakur Biography

from Biography.com

Rapper, actor. Born on June 16, 1971, in New York, New York. Shakur has become a legend in hip-hop and rap circles for his talent, his violent behavior, and his brutal death. The son of a Black Panther activist, Shakur moved around a lot as a child. In his youth, he explored acting by becoming a member of the 127th Street Ensemble, a Harlem-based theater company.

As a teenager, Shakur attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he took acting and dance classes, including ballet. While living in Baltimore, he discovered rap and began performing as MC New York. In the late 1980s, Shakur and his family moved to the West Coast. He joined the Oakland, California-based hip-hop group Digital Underground, which earlier had scored a hit with the song "The Humpty Dance."

continued on Biography.com

Posthumous Releases

Through many years of posthumous releases there have no doubt been quite a bit of lyrical editing, remixing, and un-mastered releases. Unfortunately all this editing has degraded the sound of 2Pac's vocals. This happens because of speeding up the lyrics and slowing them down, thus distorting the pitch. The 'watered down' version doesn't even sound like Pac.

This is primarily a by-product of Eminem productions. It's difficult to produce a beat to match 2Pac's flow so the attempt is made to alter 2Pac's flow to match the beat. This totally distorts the tracks and results in poor quality music that is not anywhere close to the level of Makaveli.

Today, we now have chopping of 2Pac's lyrics like we have never seen before. Ghetto Gospel, for example, is missing over 60% of its lyrics.

Read the full story here.
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Tupac Movies

Gang Related

Two cops kill an undercover DEA agent by mistake, and frantically try to cover their tracks by framing a homeless man for the crime. They juggle evidence, coach witnesses, and improve to keep their desperate scheme from unraveling.

Gridlock'd

After a friend overdoses, Spoon and Stretch decide to kick their drug habits and attempt to enroll in a government detox program. Their efforts are hampered by seemingly endless red tape, as they are shuffled from one office to another while being chased by drug dealers and the police.

Bullet

Butch "Bullet" Stein is a Jewish junkie from Brooklyn and is paroled after eight years in prison. Butch rips off a runner for local drug dealer, Tank, and is soon right back into his old habits.Determined to get revenge on him for a past wrong, Tank sets about getting even with his old enemy. Besides Lester, the only people in Butch's corner are his two brothers, the mentally unhinged Vietnam War veteran Louis and aspiring artist Ruby, neither of whom can be counted on to help him in the inevitable showdown.

Above the Rim

The story of a promising high school basketball star and his relationship with his two brothers, one a drug dealer and the other a former basketball star fallen on hard times and now employed as a security guard.

Poetic Justice

The world through the eyes of main character Justice, a young African-American poet. A mail carrier, Lucky, invites a few friends along for a long overnight delivery run.

Juice

Four inner-city teens get caught up in the pursuit of power and happiness, which they refer to as 'the juice'.

Nothing but Trouble

A businessman finds he and his friends the prisoners of a sadistic judge and his equally odd family in the backwoods of a bizarre mansion.

from 2pac.com

2pac Links

2Pac Poems
"When I die, I wanna be a livin' legend, Say my name, Affiliated with this mind f**k*n' game .. With no more pain."
2Pac Website
"My mother taught me three things: respect, knowledge, and search for knowledge. It's an eternal journey." Tupac Shakur
All Eyez on Me
I'm sure most of the 2Pac fans out there have heard the new album Loyal to the Game. It is all over the Internet and it will be released in retail version shortly.
Soulja Boy Wanted For Tupac Shakur Film
Soulja BoyRapper Soulja Boy has been asked to audition for the role of Tupac Shakur in a new biopic of the tragic hip-hop star.
Tupac Quotes
"Even though I'm marked for death, I'm a spark till I lose my breath." .. Tupac Shakur

Tupac Photo Gallery

In The Depths of Solitude

A young heart with an old soul
How can there be peace?
How can I be in the depths of solitude
When there are two inside of me?
This duo in me causes the perfect opportunity
To learn and live twice as fast
As those who accept simplicity...

  • KaneshiaKelly Mar 21, 2012 @ 7:14 am | delete
    omg, this is the most personal tupac lens yet. It seemed so strange to me that i could love an individual so much, and I never really knew him personally. I remember the night he passed I was a junior in highschool, and I remember feeling like my world had come to an end. The will never be another Tupac Amaru Shakur "Pac". I can imaging him rapping " give me a paper and a pen, so I can write about, my life of sin, a couple of bottles of gine in case, I don't get in." Thanks for creating this work of art.

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taskeinc

Barry Shaw, founder of Work Home Union, over 25 years in Information Technology, web/graphics design, network marketing. WHU aka taskeinc has written... more »

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